Broken key removal NYC service from Lenny Locksmith extracts the broken piece, checks the cylinder, and cuts a fresh key before leaving — one of the most common locksmith calls in New York.
Rapid Response — 24/7 Dispatch — All Five Boroughs
Professional broken key extraction
On-site replacement key cutting
Residential, commercial, and automotive
24/7 NYC response
Cold weather, worn cylinders, aging keys, and worn duplicate copies are the top causes. If a key snapped once in a lock, it is likely to happen again — we check the cylinder after extraction and advise whether to keep it, rekey it, or replace it.
The instinct is to dig with tweezers, a paperclip, or superglue on the other half of the key. Tweezers push the fragment deeper, and glue can ruin the cylinder completely. If part of the blade is sticking out, a gentle pull with needle-nose pliers is safe to try. Anything deeper — leave it, call us, and keep the lock untouched so extraction stays simple.
We extract broken keys from front doors, apartment doors, office suites, padlocks, mailboxes, car doors, and ignitions across NYC. After the fragment is out, we cut a fresh key on site from the broken pieces or the lock itself — you finish the visit with a working lock and a working key.
It is not just doors. Padlock shackles, mailbox cam locks, file cabinets, and desk drawers all snap keys — usually cheap duplicates cut from worn copies. We extract the fragment and cut the new key from the lock itself when needed, so a worn original cannot pass its bad cuts down to the next copy.
A key snapped in a Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, or Assa cylinder needs more care than a standard pin tumbler — the sidebar mechanisms and hardened parts punish improvisation. We extract from high-security cylinders regularly and can cut factory-spec replacement keys afterward, including restricted keyways with your authorization card.
Describe the lock and how the key broke.
Remove the broken piece without damaging the cylinder.
Cut a fresh key and test it.
Serving all five boroughs, with a real shop in East Harlem
Key extraction with care for the cylinder
Cylinder inspection and tune-up
Replacement key cut on site
24/7 availability
In nearly all cases, yes. We use extraction tools designed to grip the broken blade and pull it out without scratching or jamming the cylinder.
Usually, yes — if both halves are clean, we read the cuts directly. If a piece is lost inside the lock or missing entirely, we decode the cylinder after extraction and cut a key to match.
Yes. Ignition extraction is a common call. We remove the fragment, inspect the ignition wafers for the wear that caused the break, and cut a fresh key — all at the curb wherever the car sits in NYC.
Yes. High-security cylinders need the right extraction tools and a careful hand, but we work on Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, and Assa hardware regularly and can cut factory-spec replacements afterward.
Available in every borough and neighborhood
Emergency locksmith NYC — Lenny Locksmith provides 24/7 emergency, residential & commercial service. Lockouts, break-ins, broken keys. Call 347-929-9770.
Learn moreHouse lockout NYC — Lenny Locksmith provides 24/7 emergency, residential & commercial service. Locked out of your home? Call 347-929-9770.
Learn moreCar lockout NYC — Lenny Locksmith provides 24/7 emergency vehicle lockout service. Locked keys in car, lost keys, dead fob. Call 347-929-9770.
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